Watch Out for That Malfoy
by Skr4Rvnclw
Summary: Lainey Weasley is starting her sixth year at Hogwarts...and harboring a major crush on Thaddeus Malfoy. What is she supposed to do when she starts falling for him? And he starts falling for her?
1. Chapter 1

"Uh, what is wrong with those three

"Uh, what is wrong with those three? Is it really that hard to just keep quiet and ignore us?"

"Hey, it's not all three of them," Sophie said fairly. "It's just Rhys and Riley. Besides, Malfoy…he is cute."

Sophie Lily Potter! You're supposed to be on my side! You're supposed to say they're arrogant pigs who need to grow up. All three of them."

"They're arrogant pigs who need to grow up. All three of them," Sophie said in a monotone, mocking her best friend.

Lainey half-smiled. "A little late, Soph, but I'll take it."

Lainey Weasley and Sophie Potter were walking through Diagon Alley, headed to meet their parents at the ice cream shop down the street. They had just left Madam Malkin's after their latest run-in with Thaddeus Malfoy and his two sidekicks. Malfoy, his father, and the sidekicks just happened to be shopping for robes at the same time as Lainey and Sophie. They just couldn't resist themselves when they saw the girls. Lainey knew they treated everyone this way, but it didn't stop her feelings from being hurt. And she couldn't help but notice the way Malfoy's eyes had changed when his friend had called Lainey "the offspring off a Mudblood." It almost seemed like he cared.

Okay, so maybe Malfoy wasn't so bad, but his friends were absolutely horrible. Rhys Parkinson and Riley Zabini were his two friends. They followed his every order. Maybe Malfoy wasn't shouting insults, but Rhys and Riley definitely were. Anyone within speaking distance was susceptible to their rude remarks. Lainey knew Malfoy could silence them with a word, but he didn't. And why not? He knew how much it hurt and she had just seen something in his eyes. Why didn't he just tell them to stop? It couldn't be because his father was around because he was never there during their five years at Hogwarts together. Malfoy could have told them to stop anytime, but he didn't.

No matter how much Lainey wanted to hate Malfoy or how many bad things she said, if she was honest with herself, she knew it was because she had a crush on Malfoy. She'd been harboring it since the first time she saw him during their first year at Hogwarts. They were on the Hogwarts express, buying candy from the trolley. His sparkling green eyes first caught her attention. They were the exact same color of an emerald. His pale blond hair had that perfectly tousled look. Just the opposite of his father's sleek hair, she noted. He also had an heir about him that just attracted attention. Lainey couldn't keep her eyes off him.

But this crush was just a small one. Miniscule, really.

Thaddeus's looks were part of the reason that Lainey kept this crush to herself. He was perfect and she always just considered herself average. Brown hair past her shoulders, but with just the right amount of curl. Average height at 5'5", she didn't stand out in any crowds. Lainey found two very redeeming features about herself, though. They were both traits from her parents. She loved her blue eyes from her father and her intelligence, form her mother. Although she was by no means vain, she liked to look nice and presentable, especially when a certain Slytherin boy would be around.

This crush was a hard thing to keep because it broke two standard rules. One: Gryffindors do not associate with Slytherins. Two: Weasleys did not associate with Malfoys, no matter how harmless they may seem. Lainey's father always warned her about Malfoy every year on September 1st before she boarded the Hogwarts Express. "Watch out for that Malfoy," he'd say. Her father, mother, and Uncle Harry had been best friends since their Hogwarts days and apparently had some trouble with Malfoy's father, Draco.

Still, it was hard not to look at him and think about him. His eyes were so easy to get lost in and-

"Lainey? Lainey? You okay?" Sophie said, snapping Lainey out of her reverie.

"What? Yeah, fine," Lainey said, pretending like she had been paying attention.

"You haven't been listening, have you?"

"Yes, I have."

"Okay then, I've been talking for almost five minutes. What was I saying?" Sophie stopped walking and turned to Lainey, crossed her arms, and raised her eyebrows.

"Uhm," Lainey racked her brains, trying to pick a few words out of Sophie's ramblings. "You were saying something about your robes?"

Her friend sighed and continued walking. "No, Lain. I was saying that I'm going to ask my dad for new gloves for Quidditch. Do you think he'll get them? That is, if Mum says it's okay. I kind of don't want to ask because I just got a new owl-"

"Soph, I'm pretty sure he'll get them," Lainey said, cutting off Sophie as she had to constantly. Sophie tended to ramble. "Anything to do with Quidditch…"

"I hope so. So, what was so important that you weren't listening to me?" Sophie joked, but expected an answer.

"Nothing," she lied.

"You're right. It was someone," Sophie deduced. "You had that same look on your face that you used to get when you would think about that Ravenclaw boy. Who is it?"

"No one!" Lainey said, a little too quickly, turning the corner towards the ice cream parlor. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sophie turned to glare at Lainey. "Alright. I'll drop it for now, but I will find out. Come on, let's go in."

They turned and walked into the parlor. As they opened the door, a bell rang, alerting their presence. Quickly spotting their family at a large table in the corner of the restaurant, they hurried over and took their seats. Lainey sat in an open seat next her little sister, Rachel, and Sophie sat next to her little brother, Adam.

"Glad you girls decided to show up," Lainey's father, Ron, teased.

Sophie glanced at Lainey. "Madam Malkin's took a little longer than we'd planned."

Sophie's mother, Ginny, spoke now. "Did you get your robes?" she asked, suspicious at their lack of shopping bags.

"We can pick them up in half an hour," Sophie answered, nodding.

The girls ordered banana splits from the waiter when he stopped by. He quickly brought them back. Everyone seemed to be almost finished with their own ice cream, so Lainey and Sophie tried to hurry and finish.

"You guys are going to get a brain freeze!" Adam said, pretending like his head was freezing despite the warm weather.

"Yeah, and then you won't be so smart, Lainey!" his twin, Edward, added.

Lainey rolled her eyes. "Well, if I'm not smart, who will help you with your homework? They load on first years like you guys."

Sophie suppressed a laugh as the twins and Rachel, who was also starting Hogwarts this year, looked scandalized. They started whispering amongst themselves. Lainey turned to her mother.

"Mom, did you get me and Sophie's books?"

"Yes, I have them right here. No, wait, they're in here," Lainey's mother, Hermione, said looking through a few bags from Flourish and Blotts. "Those are your sisters. We still need to get your things for Potions, since you'll both be starting NEWT classes. If you two will pick up your robes, you'll be all set. Rachel just needs her Potions materials and a wand." Rachel perked up at the mention of a wand. Hermione smiled at her. "Maybe we'll even get her a new pet, since it's her first year. Ginny, what do Adam and Edward need?"

"They both need wands and-"

"Mom?" Adam interrupted. "Can I have a new toad? Hopper's getting old. He doesn't jump high like he used to."

Ginny looked at him for a moment, thinking about it. "Well, I suppose. Your brother has been wanting an owl. Harry, you did get their books, right?"

"What's that, love?" Sophie's father said, turning away from his conversation with Ron. "Oh, yeah. I have their books right here."

"So, only a few more stops and we'll be good to go home for dinner, Hermione," Ginny said.

Even though everyone had finished their ice cream, no one seemed to have any intention of leaving soon. The younger kids were talking excitedly about wands and pets. The four adults were talking about a new law the Ministry was passing and the rising costs of school robes. Lainey and Sophie were talking about their NEWT classes and the added amount of work they were expecting.

"Okay, Mom, when will we be leaving?" Sophie asked mischievously.

Her mother narrowed her eyes. "Why? What do you want to do?"

Sophie shrugged. "Well, I thought that Lainey and I could go pick up our robes and then stop by Uncle George's shop," she said innocently.

"Alright, but we are leaving in one hour. Meet us in front of the apothecary."

Sophie's father came back into the conversation. "Do you need money?"

"No," they said together.

"Okay-"

"You do know that Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products are banned at Hogwarts?" Lainey's mother asked, knowing that they were well aware of this rule.

"We know, Mom. We'll meet you in an hour," Lainey said as she stood up from her chair.

Sophie and Lainey excused themselves and left the ice cream parlor. They headed back towards Madam Malkin's, Lainey hoping they wouldn't see Malfoy again. She also hoped Sophie had forgotten her previous interrogation. Her hopes were crushed when Sophie turned to her.

"Now, I think it's time for you to tell me who you were thinking about earlier."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Really, Soph, it's nothing," Lainey said as she tried to keep walking.

Sophie didn't follow. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me," she grinned.

"Okay. I was thinking about…Jeremy Longbottom," Lainey lied.

"Neville's son?" Lainey nodded. "Oh my gosh! That's so cute! And he's Head Boy."

"Yeah, I guess," Lainey said uncomfortably. She hated lying, especially to Sophie. "It's probably unrealistic, though. I mean, I'm sure he's got a girlfriend-"

"No, he doesn't! You guys would be so cute together. You're a Prefect and he's Head Boy, so you go together. And you're both complete geniuses," Sophie added as an afterthought.

"I'm not a genius," Lainey corrected, as she had many times before on this issue.

Sophie shrugged. "Close enough."

They turned the corner towards the shop. Lainey knew she had made a mistake about lying about Jeremy. She knew Sophie would want to tell him. And he was coming over for dinner later at the Potter's house. She tried to change the subject.

"You're smart, too. You're grades would be so much better if you tried."

Shrugging again, Sophie said, "I'd rather concentrate on Quidditch. My dad doesn't really care, only Mum…and you're mum. Anyway, don't turn the conversation on me! Can I tell him?"

"Tell who?" Lainey said, trying to look innocently confused.

"Jeremy! What's gotten into you today? Whatever, he's coming over today for dinner with his parents. Well, you'll be there. That might be a bit awkward, but I'll get him away from everyone before I tell him-"

"Wait! I don't recall actually giving you permission to tell him," Lainey reminded her as they walked into Madam Malkin's. A bell rang above the door, alerting the clerk to their presence.

"Oh please, please! I'll be really casual and everything. I promise!" Sophie pleaded with Lainey, eyes eager. Lainey couldn't say no.

"Fine. Do what you want, but let's hurry. I want to get to Uncle George's shop."

The two girls walked up to the front counter to pick up their robes. Lainey wasn't really paying attention and overpaid. Instead, she was hoping Jeremy wouldn't like her. If he didn't, it would just make everything much easier. Lainey could just pretend to sulk for a few days and that would be the end of it. Besides, it was better to suffer one night of embarrassment opposed to telling Sophie who she was really thinking about. If Jeremy did return her false feelings, well, she would just have to deal with that when the time came.

Sophie and Lainey got their robes and then stopped at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. After buying a few different kinds of color-changing ink and Skiving Snackboxes, their Uncle George made them swear not to tell their parents. Lainey scoffed at this and smiled.

"We should make you promise the same thing, Uncle George."

Leaving the shop, they turned and walked quickly toward the apothecary. They had spent more time browsing than they realized and had the possibility of being late. Just in time, they found their families and everyone Floo'd back to the Potters' house for dinner. School would be starting in less than two weeks and the Potters, the Weasleys, and the Longbottoms were all free tonight for a sort of farewell dinner. All of the kids and Neville, who taught Herbology, would be leaving for Hogwarts soon and they all wanted to have one last get together.

Lainey and Sophie were upstairs in Sophie's room. The Potters home was very large, a mansion in Lainey's mind. Nestled in beautiful woods next to an endless blue lake, it had 5 bedrooms and two stories. Sophie's parents and twin brothers' rooms were at the end of one hallway and she and her little sister, Katie's, rooms were at the other end.

Sophie's room was the epitome of a princess's room. Her canopy bed was draped in pale pink silk with matching blankets and stuffed animals littered the entire room. The walls were also a shade of pale pink and at least half of her belongings were covered in glitter of some sort. Only one part of Sophie's room bothered Lainey: the curtains. Gorgeous as they were, they covered up the only window in the room, which had the best view of the lake. Lainey loved to sit in the window seat and lose herself in the ripples of the water as she thought about anything that was bothering her. It was soothing. This is exactly what she was doing, as her best friend was babbling about something.

"…so I think it's fair. Unless you don't want to know, of course. Then I'll just keep it to myself, but I do really want to tell you. I feel bad that I told Olivia before you-Lainey? Are you listening?"

Lainey snapped out of her daydreaming at the mention of her name. "What? Oh, yes, tell me." She turned and stared at Sophie, determined to pay attention.

Sophie narrowed her eyes suspiciously, looking just like her mother, but was too excited to remark.

"Okay." Her eyes lit up and she sat next to Lainey on the bench by the window. "It's Olivia's brother, James."

"James Wood?"

"Yes. Don't you think he's adorable? I heard from Olivia that he's Quidditch Captain this year. Gosh, it will be hard to keep my eye on the Snitch when he's over their, guarding the goal posts. I mean, he's always been there but it's different this year, you know? Kind of like you and-"

"Soph, you're rambling again." They giggled. "Are you going to tell him?" This seemed like an appropriate question.

Sophie nodded. "Olivia is going to just mention me and see how he reacts and what he says. She's sending me an owl as soon as she does. Enough of that now, what do you want me to say to Jeremy?"

Lainey had to think for a second to remember what she was talking about. "Oh, uhm, you really don't need to say anything."

"But I want to!"

Lainey debated back and forth in her mind what to do.

'He is cute-but you don't like him! You can-but what about Malfoy? Like that will happen-just go for it.'

"Okay. Say whatever, just nothing embarrassing."

"Yay!" Sophie hugged Lainey. "I know he'll like you. You've known each other forever and I swear I saw him looking at you once or twice. Ooh! And if you guys had kids, they would be like the smartest kids in the univ-"

"I think you're getting way ahead of yourself there, Soph."

At that moment, Sophie's mother called up the stairs. "Sophie! Lainey! Neville and Hannah will be here soon. Come set the table."

"Anyway, I'll tell him after dinner," Sophie said with a smile as she walked out of the room, leaving Lainey wondering what she had just gotten herself into.


	3. Chapter 3

If you've gotten here, thank you for reading!! Please review!! This chapter is a little shorter than the others, but I just needed to fill the time. Promise-it gets better from here!

Chapter 3

Lainey sat on the Hogwarts Express after just saying goodbye to her parents. She was staring out the window, watching the younger children with excited expressions board the train, some of them for the first time. Apart from herself, the compartment was empty. Sophie had gone off to find Olivia, leaving Lainey alone with her thoughts. It actually didn't bother her much. These days, she liked to be alone. It gave her time to order her thoughts without any interruptions. Just then, Lainey thought she saw Thaddeus Malfoy making his way through the crowd toward the train. She watched him until Jeremy Longbottom caught her eye.

Jeremy Longbottom: her almost boyfriend.

That night at the Potters', Sophie had 'casually' mentioned to Jeremy after dinner that Lainey thought he was cute. He was all too eager and said he really liked her. They had spent the last two weeks sending notes back and forth, but he was yet to ask her out on a real date. Lainey had mixed feelings about this fact. She wasn't sure whether she was disappointed or relieved.

Right now, Jeremy was helping the first years with their trunks and just being his normal, admirable self. He was close to perfect: good looking, smart, Head Boy, a favorite with the teachers and the students. But looking at him just didn't make Lainey's heart flutter like it did when Thaddeus Malfoy's face floated through her mind.

Every time Malfoy looked at her, her stomach flipped and, more often than not, her face flooded with heat. They very rarely spoke outside of class, but Lainey was sure that if they had a real conversation, she would babble like an idiot.

"Hey, Lain. The train's starting to get full so we figured we should come back to keep you company," Sophie said, closing the compartment door, Olivia Wood in two.

Olivia sat across from Lainey. "Hey. Did you have a good summer?"

"Yeah, I did. We vacationed in America," Lainey added, not in the mood to talk.

"Cool! I think Amanda Swaver said she went to New York. Something like that, anyway. We went to France. I completely loved it, but James complained the entire-"

"Be nice, Olivia," Sophie giggled.

"Excuse me, Future Mrs. Wood," Olivia retorted.

It took a moment for Lainey to comprehend. "Are you guys going out?" she asked her cousin.

"Not yet, but he told me to save a seat for him at the feast later!" Sophie gushed.

"That's great, Soph-"

But she was interrupted by the compartment door sliding open slowly. Her heart fluttered when she saw the emerald eyes of Thaddeus Malfoy looking around the compartment.

"Olivia, Sophie…Lainey," he nodded as he said their names. He seemed timid.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Sophie said impatiently.

"Oh, uh, Lainey I was just wondering if you were going to the Prefect Compartment-"

"Of course she is, Malfoy," Sophie sighed. "She's a Prefect, too."

He didn't pay attention. "Well, do you want to walk with me?"

'What?' Lainey thought. 'He wants to walk with me? Why? Is he joking? Is this just a plot against me?'

Disregarding all of this, she started to nod, but was interrupted.

"Actually, Malfoy," spat a voice from outside the door, "I think she'll walk with me."

Jeremy Longbottom appeared at the door and reached his hand out toward Lainey, his Head Boy badge gleamed on his Gryffindor robes. Lainey took a moment to gather herself, stood up, and took his hand, albeit reluctantly. She gave Malfoy an apologetic look as she followed Jeremy down the hall. She would have sworn Thaddeus's eyes showed a flash of disappointment.

Lainey knew she was doing the right thing and following the 'rules' by going with James, but then why did she feel disappointed?

James practically dragged her down the hall, weaving in and out of the other students eager to catch up with their friends after the entire summer apart. James stopped to talk to one of his friends, releasing his hold on her for a moment. She debated going on to the Prefect Compartment, then on going back to find Malfoy to see what he truly wanted. Before she had made up her mind, however, James grabbed her hand and pulled her on to the compartment.

When they walked in, Lainey glanced around and saw Malfoy's somber face. She hadn't seen him pass by her in the hallway, but he must have seen her with James. Maybe he saw her reluctance to go with James and knew she had really wanted to go with him. James turned to her, interrupting her thoughts.

"I've got to give everyone their jobs to do once we get to school. Wait here?" He was already walking away.

She nodded slowly and sat down the closest open seat. She looked to her right and saw one of her best friends, Bradyn, smiling back at her. He was the type of person who could brighten anyone's day. She smiled and settled into easy conversation with him until they got to Hogsmeade Station. Her neck tickled, as if someone were looking at her. She turned around and saw Malfoy quickly exiting the compartment, as if he had just turned around.

Please review. Any criticism/praise/comments are much appreciated. :)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The welcome feast was in full swing; everyone was talking excitedly with their friends. Lainey was sitting between Sophie and Jeremy, not talking much to either. Sophie was sitting next to James, hanging on to his every word. Jeremy would try to bring her into conversations with his friends, but she wasn't in the mood to talk. She has searched the Slytherin table for Malfoy, but was yet to see him. She really wasn't sure why seeing him would be a comfort. Anxious to get to the Prefect meeting just before the end of the feast, Lainey hadn't touched her food.

Jeremy checked his watch and turned to Lainey. "Hey, you ready to go?"

"Sure. Let me tell Sophie I'm leaving." Lainey turned and tapped Sophie on the shoulder. "I'm going to the meeting. "I'll see you in the common room?"

"Yeah, I'll see you there or in our dorm," Sophie said.

Lainey and Jeremy walked down the aisle between the tables. They trailed behind the head girl, Elizabeth Abronte, who was a Ravenclaw. They all walked to the Deputy Headmistress's office to meet with her to get the new passwords and patrol times.

Almost everyone was there when they arrived, except one of the seventh-year Slytherins and one fifth year Hufflepuff. Jeremy went to the front of the room with Elizabeth, so Lainey took a seat next to Malfoy, who was sulking. He barely glanced at her when she sat down. After a few moments, she decided to say something. Maybe ease the tension.

"Umm…hey," she said nervously, not really knowing what else to say. She had to formulate each word carefully to make any sense. "I-I didn't see you at the feast."

He looked into her eyes for a brief second. "That's because I didn't go."

"Oh," she hesitated. "Did you have a good break?" Lainey was still clueless as to why she was still trying to make conversation with him.

"No, and why do you want to talk to me now?" Malfoy snapped.

"What?" Lainey said, shocked by his bluntness.

"I tried to talk to you earlier. On the train? But you went off with your boyfriend."

"Who?"

"Mr. Head Boy over there." He pointed towards the front of the room where Jeremy was standing.

"He's not my boyfriend, Malfoy," she spat. All of her former nerves dissolved, anger taking its place.

Malfoy paused, looking a bit remorseful. "Oh…well, sorry."

"It's fine," Lainey said, feeling a little flustered. "And for your information-"

"Meeting in order!" the Deputy Headmistress, Professor Freeherr called, putting an end to any conversation.

Lainey and Malfoy both turned their attention to the front of the room. They were updated on new rules, given new passwords for those common rooms that required them, and set patrolling schedule times. Sixth year Prefects patrolled in a rotating schedule five nights a week from nine to ten o' clock. After nine o' clock, all third year students and younger should be in their common rooms. At the end of the meeting, Lainey hurried out, trying to avoid Jeremy.

Later that evening, Lainey was walking the halls with the other sixth-year Gryffindor Prefect, Bradyn Long. He was one of her better friends. They had just turned a corner when someone called her name.

"Lainey!"

It was Malfoy. He easily caught up to them and asked to speak with Lainey. Alone.

Bradyn continued down the hall with an apprehensive glance over his shoulder. "See you later, Lainey."

Lainey and Malfoy walked back in the other direction. They were both silent until Lainey built up the courage to speak.

"Malfoy…Is there something you wanted to say to me?"

Malfoy looked over at her and stopped walking. "Yeah, there was. Um, sorry I snapped. Earlier, at the Prefect meeting…and something else. When we were talking about Longbottom and you said 'for your information,' what were you going to say?"

Lainey sighed. She was not expecting this, although she knew exactly what he was talking about. "I was-I was going to say that I was going to walk with you on the train."

"Really?"

Lainey couldn't figure out his tone. It was flat but disbelieving at the same time. In a good way.

"Well, yeah. It probably wouldn't have been the best idea, but no offense, why do you care? I mean," she looked down, flushing, "you always tease me. Well, your friends do, at least. And I've barely spoken to you, besides classes, since I've known you."

Lainey waited for him to speak. He started to wring his hands, not looking as arrogant as usual.

"I just wanted to talk," he said slowly.

"Talk? About?"

"Well, nothing. It's almost ten o'clock. We should probably get back," he said, his usual heir returning.

"Oh, uh, yeah," Lainey said, surprised at the sudden change in topic. "I'll see you in Potions tomorrow, I guess. " She turned to go find Bradyn.

"Wait," he said. He reached out and touched her arm. She jumped and he let go. "Will you meet me tomorrow? We could do our patrols together."

He grinned, looking unsure, his eyes sparkling. Lainey couldn't resist.

"Okay," she said unsteadily.

"Okay." His grin widened. "Meet me around the corner from the Library at five till nine."

"Okay." This was the only word she could get out. Lainey turned to walk down the hallway in a daze. Malfoy watched her.

She turned the corner and stopped, leaning against the wall. Listening to his retreating footsteps, she could finally think straight.

'What was that? He's never even spoken to me outside of class for real before. Why does he want to meet me? This is so weird. I need to find Sophie.'

After tracking down Bradyn and making their reports to Professor Freeherr, Lainey said goodbye and headed up to the sixth-year girls dormitory. Lainey ran up the stairs and jumped onto Sophie's bed, very confused but also very excited.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Sophie looked up at Lainey. "What's gotten into you?"

"Is everyone else down in the common room?" Lainey said, noticing the empty dorm.

"Yes," Sophie said, putting down her magazine and sitting up straighter.

"Okay. Good. I have something to tell you. Guess who I was just talking to?" Lainey said, a little hesitant.

"Um…Bradyn?"

"Well, yeah, but not who I was thinking about. Someone else." She was getting impatient already.

"Jeremy?"

"No."

"Just tell me!" Sophie pleaded.

"Okay." Lainey's shyness suddenly overwhelmed her, but she persevered. "Thaddeus Malfoy," she whispered.

"Who?"

"Malfoy," she repeated, a little louder now, more confident.

Sophie's mouth fell open. "You just spoke to Malfoy and you're excited? Why?'

"Well, I've…I've kind of liked him for a while," Lainey mumbled as she picked at a thread protruding from Sophie's blanket.

Sophie gasped. "You like Malfoy! Since when?"

"A while."

"Mhmm," Sophie smirked. "Hate to say I told you so, but I have always told you he was cute."

"Sophie!" Lainey grabbed a pillow and threw it at her best friend.

"What?" she said, tossing the pillow aside. "So, what did he say? Was he mean? Or nice? I was talking to James earlier and he said that he saw Rhys and Riley wandering around alone. That's weird because you know, they always sort of follow Malfoy-"

"Soph," Lainey said, stopping the ramblings.

"Sorry." She made an apologetic face. "What did he say? Tell me everything."

Lainey laughed lightly at Sophie's eagerness. "Well, I was walking down the hall in front of the Transfiguration with Bradyn and he called my name from-"

"Malfoy did? Really?"

"Yeah, so he said he wanted to talk to me-"

"Alone?"

"Yes," she continued, impatient once more. "So Bradyn kept walking and I turned around with Malfoy. He apologized for snapping at me earlier-"

"When?"

"At the Prefect's meeting, Soph," Lainey said, raising her eyebrows pointedly.

"Sorry. I'll be quiet." Sophie mimicked locking her mouth and throwing away the key.

Lainey grinned, but decided to skip that bit about the events on the train. "Well, and he asked me to meet him tomorrow so we can do our patrols together." She waited for Sophie to talk. "Oh, I'm done."

Sophie exhaled. "So, are you going to meet him?"

Biting her lip, Lainey said, "I think so."

"Oh my gosh! So he was nice?"

"Really nice, shockingly. He was kind of adorable actually." Blushing, she brought her knees to her chest and balanced her head on one knee. "Like when I walked away down the hall? He watched me."

"Awh!" Sophie squealed. "Have long have you liked him? Wait, does he like you?"

Lainey sighed and furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't know. I'm just going to wait until tomorrow and we'll see what happen."

"Good-but wait," Sophie said, putting her hands up, palms facing Lainey. "What about Jeremy?"

Lainey looked hesitant. Sophie's eyes widened in understanding.

"Ooh, you never liked Jeremy. It was Thad! Why didn't you tell me?" Sophie demanded.

'I don't know. I just thought you wouldn't like it, I guess. But know you know."

"Yeah, yeah. Do you want me to tell Jeremy?"

"Sure, if you don't mind. I think he likes Elizabeth anyway. He practically clung to her like a niffler on gold at the meeting." They laughed. "So what about you and James?"

"Well, you know how we have a Hogsmeade weekend in two weeks?" Sophie asked.

"No."

"Well, we do. And guess what."

"What?" Lainey asked, feigning ignorance to draw out the excitement for her best friend.

"He asked me to go with him! On a real date! Ooh, maybe Malfoy will ask you!" Sophie's voice was an octave higher than usual, resulting from excitement.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. We just had our first civilized conversation in five years. For all I know, he just wants to meet me tomorrow to talk about some other girl."

"Doubt it," Sophie said skeptically.

Lainey tried not to get her hopes up, but it was too late. Maybe Thad would ask her. This was shaping up to be an interesting year.

--

Lainey woke up the next morning, got dressed, and headed down to breakfast. She had all NEWT classes, as did Sophie, so all of their classes were together: Potions first.

Lainey expected Malfoy to be in NEWT classes, so she was not surprised to walk into the dungeon classroom and see him at a desk. He was talking to two Slytherins when she walked in. Taking a chance and glancing at him, Malfoy smiled quickly. Lainey hoped no one noticed the smile or the wave of crimson that rushed to her cheeks. Keeping her head down, she took a seat at an empty desk.

Sophie gently poked Lainey in the ribs, taking the seat next to her. "Did he just smile at you?" she whispered.

"Shh," Lainey hissed, but the both couldn't help giggling quietly.

Professor Mulden walked into the classroom them. He was a quiet man who always used as few words as possible and graded harshly. His eerie nature was enhanced by the appearance of the dungeon he used as a classroom.

"Page 27. The ingredients are on the table." He gestured to the table located in the back of the room. "Don't waste them. Read the instructions carefully before you begin. Go on," he said as he took a seat in a high-backed chair behind a desk. Everyone stared at him for a moment before reading the instructions.

Sophie leaned over to Lainey. "You know, he kind of creeps me out sometimes."

Lainey smiled and rolled her eyes.

Everyone in the class read the instructions and collected the necessary materials. The potion took a little over an hour to brew and it was easily the most complicated they had been asked to make during their time at Hogwarts. At the end of class, Lainey noticed that only Malfoy's, a Ravenclaw, Justin Rodger's, and her own potions showed the signature pale pink spiral smoke that symbolized the potion had been made properly. Malfoy must have felt her gaze and looked at her. She quickly looked down at her own perfect concoction and again pretended she wasn't' blushing.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Professor Mulden came around at the end of class and checked their potions. He simply nodded at Lainey's, a good sign, but he made a mark on his paper when he looked at Sophie's. They cleaned up their desk and left class to head for Transfiguration when the bell rang. Sophie was complaining as they walked down the hall about what could have gone wrong with her potion.

"I think I stirred it wrong, or maybe I added the beetle eyes too soon? What do you think? What did he write on that page? He just nodded at yours. Perfect, as usual. I probably wasn't even making the right potion or something, who knows. Wait, I'm going to go to the bathroom," she finally stopped.

"Want me to hold your stuff?" Lainey asked, holding out her free arm.

"Sure. I'll be out in a sec. You don't have to wait. Go ahead to class."

Lainey rearranged the books in her hands to make room for Sophie's. She slung her bag over her shoulder as Sophie walked away and turned to continue down the hallway.

"Oh!"

She turned right into someone. After dropping the majority of the books on the floor, her bag also slipped off her shoulder, making her lopsided. Simultaneously, she bent down to retrieve the books while looking up to see who she had run down. That person knelt down to help.

"Sorry for getting in your way," Malfoy said, his eyes teasing.

"Oh, sorry," she blushed furiously, her face heating even more when she saw his two sidekicks, looking back from down the hall.

"Malfoy, come on," Riley called, still walking backwards.

"No, go on," he replied. This stopped them dead in their tracks. Rhys and Riley looked at each other, thoroughly confused.

"What?" they said together.

Malfoy turned to face them. "I'm going to help her pick up these books. Go ahead to class. Do you have a problem with that?" He raised his eyebrows. Lainey rarely heard him speak like this to his friends.

"No, man," Riley, clearly the smarter of the two, said. Pulling Rhys down the hall, he mumbled something unintelligible.

Malfoy mad an apologetic face. "Sorry about that." They both stood up.

"You, uhm, well you didn't have to do that…," Lainey said uncomfortably. She hated for it to be her fault to cause a rift or an argument.

"Don't worry about it. Sometimes you have to be a little bold with them to get through, you know?" He grinned as he pulled the strap of Lainey's bag back onto her shoulder. He took the books from her hands. "Here, let me carry those. We're both going to Professor Freeherr, right?"

"Sure, thanks," she said gratefully as he held all the books easily.

"Lainey? You didn't have to…wait." Sophie walked out of the bathroom, fluffing her hair. "Oh, Malfoy. I'll just take these"-she took her books from his arms-"and see you in class."

Sophie hurried down the hallway, but not before slipping a not-so-subtle wink at Lainey. Malfoy definitely noticed, but acted like he didn't. He started towards the classroom and Lainey followed suit. He spoke first.

"Your potion looked good back there; better than mine, at least," he complimented, smiling at her.

Lainey quickly looked down. "Yours looked good, too," she said honestly.

"Oh, I thought you were looking at me, not my potion."

'Uh…well…"

'Lainey, I'm kidding," he said, turning to her without breaking stride. "Just trying to make you smile."

Lainey smiled a little, albeit reluctantly.

"There. That's better. Now, let's get to class before Freeherr can count us tardy."

Malfoy and Lainey hurried to class, just in time. He set the book on a desk next to Sophie before taking a seat of his own. She sat down nonchalantly, ignores the pointed stares from Sophie. Professor Freeherr saved her by walking into the classroom and beginning class, commanding everyone's attention. She lectured the class about NEWTs, typically. She assigned a chapter to read and an essay to write, due at the beginning of the next class.

At the end of class, Malfoy left quickly. Lainey barely had a chance to see the tail of his robes flash out to door because she was rearranging things in her school bag, trying to make room for all of her textbooks. It always seemed that there was one too many books for the bag to stay completely shut 

without running the risk of bursting the seams. Lainey picked up the dreaded last book off of her desk and turned to face toward Sophie.

"Lunch, finally. I'm starving," Sophie said as she shoved her things into her schoolbag haphazardly. Unlike her best friend, Lainey was very neat and like everything to be in order. Not so much for Sophie. Sophie picked up her bag off the floor. "Hopefully I'll see James. I didn't see James this morning at breakfast. Oh, and I need to ask him about Quidditch. Hey, is this yours?" she asked, picking up a piece of parchment.

"No," Lainey said, but she took it anyway and opened it. Turns out, it was hers. It was a note from Malfoy, written in green ink.

L-

Don't forget tonight.

T.M.

Lainey's breath caught in her throat as she read the note. A tingle went up her spine. He really did want to meet? Sophie squealed as Lainey realized she had been reading over her shoulder.

"It's from Malfoy! You so have to meet him tonight, and then tell me all about it," Sophie gushed. "Oh, and I'll talk to Jeremy at lunch, don't worry about it," she added, waving her hand.

Lainey shushed Sophie, looking around the empty classroom. She tucked the note in her pocket and they both giggled on their way out of the classroom to head to lunch.

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